Get to Marlborough by road, air, rail or sea. A key transport feature of this area are the Picton ferry services, which take passengers to the North Island and dock in Wellington.
By Road
Driving
Access Marlborough’s main town, Blenheim, via State Highway 1. This will also let your clients drive to the Interislander ferry service that connects Picton with the North Island.
Approx drive time and distances to other areas:
|
|
Km
|
Miles
|
Approx Drive Time
|
|
Blenheim to Nelson (via SH6)
|
116
|
72
|
1 hour 45 mins
|
|
Blenheim to Kaikoura
|
129
|
80
|
2 hours 20 mins
|
|
Blenheim to Christchurch
|
308
|
191
|
4 hours 35 mins
|
|
Picton to Blenheim
|
28
|
17
|
30 mins
|
|
Picton to Nelson (via Queen Charlotte Drive)
|
110
|
68
|
2 hours 20 mins
|
|
Picton to Christchurch
|
336
|
209
|
5 hours
|
Coach/Bus/Shuttle
Your clients can get around the South Island by coach with InterCity Coachlines or a number of other suppliers.
Clients can also take shuttles between Picton, Marlborough, Nelson, West Coast and Christchurch. Atomic Shuttles offers daily services.
Driving Routes
Drive along 680km of road on Treasured Pathway, a highway that links heritage sites from Picton through to Farewell Spit, in Nelson.
The Classic New Zealand Wine Trail lets clients drive through the Marlborough wine region at their leisure, and also links up with other wine areas in Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay.
For a scenic drive taking in the Marlborough Sounds, the Queen Charlotte Drive between Blenheim and Nelson via Havelock is also available.
To get to Christchurch follow State Highway 1 from Picton or Blenheim, or to get to the West Coast take State Highway 6 through Nelson.
By Air
You can reach Marlborough via either Woodbourne airport just outside Blenheim, or from Picton airport.
Airlines flying into Blenheim include:
Air New Zealand
Sounds Air
Air2there
Approx flying time to other cities:
|
|
Approx Flying Time
|
|
Blenheim to Wellington
|
25 mins
|
|
Blenheim to Christchurch
|
50 mins direct
|
|
Blenheim to Auckland
|
1 hour 20 mins – 3 hours
|
By Rail
If your clients want to go down to Christchurch by rail they can jump on the Coastal Pacific, which connects with the Interislander ferry in Picton. This train journey runs along the east coast, showcasing the Kaikoura Ranges and Pacific Ocean.
By Sea
Two main ferry options let clients easily get between the North and South Island:
The Interislander takes approximately three hours and offers either passenger or car services In the peak season there are five trips a day between Wellington and Picton.
Bluebridge offers passenger and car ferry services up to four times a day.
To get to the Marlborough Sounds and Queen Charlotte track, clients will need to catch a water taxi or organise a boat charter. These normally depart from Picton.
Getting Around Marlborough
Getting around each town centre is easy by foot. However, driving either with a hire car, motorhome, taxi or shuttle is a good way to explore the entire area. There are also tours available to various surrounding areas.
Scheduled water taxis or charter boats will let clients easily explore the Marlborough Sounds.